Oakland Raiders look to snap bye week blues

ALAMEDA -- Ten times since 2002 the Raiders have resumed play after a bye rested, ready and ultimately unable to win.

They've lost by a lot -- 35-3 to Pittsburgh in 2010 and 34-3 to New Orleans in 2008. They've lost by a little -- 24-21 to Cleveland in 2006 and 23-20 to Atlanta last season.

But always, the Raiders have lost when extra time for rest and preparation would suggest they'd increased their odds of success.

None of it matters to Raiders coach Dennis Allen, whose team hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at O.co Coliseum.

"I think we're all aware of that, but like I told the players, the past has no relevance to the future," Allen said. "Any of the outcomes that have happened after a bye won't dictate how we go out and play Pittsburgh."

The last time the Raiders won after a bye was in 2002, when Rich Gannon, who will be in the CBS television booth, led a 52-25 win over the Tennessee Titans.

The Steelers are 2-4, having won their past two games after their own bye. After the week off, they're taking better care of the ball and playing better defense. Whether or not Pittsburgh benefited from its bye isn't something coach Mike Tomlin has spent a lot of time thinking about.

"We don't have any control over when we get a bye. We'll take it whenever it comes," Tomlin said. "Obviously, byes are good but 0-4 byes aren't real comfortable."

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The Raiders, like the Steelers, are 2-4 and hoping to gain traction. They're also like the Steelers in that they're a heavy-blitzing, defense-oriented team that relies on a quarterback who likes to extend plays with his feet and a running game that needs to be more consistent.

Unlike the Raiders' Terrelle Pryor, who leads his team with 289 yards rushing, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is looking to get off a pass rather than break away on a run.

Oakland's ability to bring the 6-foot-5, 241-pound Roethlisberger to the ground before he can find open receivers such as Antonio Brown (47 receptions, 548 yards, two touchdowns) will be important.

"He's so strong he's not down if someone is hanging on him," Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver said. "You have to keep taking your shots and fighting and scratching because that's what he does."

In terms of defending Pryor, Tomlin wants the Steelers to be aggressive but not to the point of overrunning the play and letting him loose on a breakaway run.

"The key is that we remain aggressive, yet smart," Tomlin said. "You're concerned about constricting and containing a guy that is capable of providing explosion plays, but you can't allow that to take away your edge in terms of how you play."

One way the Raiders can help Pryor is having more success on what Allen calls "core" runs, the basic bread and butter of the offense. Running back Darren McFadden has done his best work this season getting yardage in big chunks rather than in steady increments.

McFadden, two weeks removed from a hamstring strain, has been held to 2 yards or less on 40 of his 69 rushing attempts but likes the idea of running into the teeth of Pittsburgh's defense.

"You always know Pittsburgh is going to play hard-nosed defense," McFadden said. "That will be the case on Sunday, but we have some things we want to do so hopefully we can make some plays against them. A physical game fits my style. I love running in these games."

Pittsburgh also has a strong belief in its running game, although the Steelers are averaging only 3.5 yards per carry for the season. However, Le'Veon Bell, a 244-pound power back, is coming off a 19-carry, 93-yard effort against Baltimore.

"He's got good vision and strength. He can run people over," Roethlisberger said. "We've yet to see the speed. I'm hopeful that he's going to get a breakaway run so we can see what kind of speed he has."

The Raiders signed offensive lineman Jack Cornell off their practice squad for additional depth. Tackle Tony Pashos (hip), center-guard Andre Gurode (knee) and tackle Menelik Watson (knee) are all listed as doubtful and are not expected to be active. To make room for Cornell, defensive lineman Brian Sanford was waived.